An Illinois appellate panel on Tuesday refused to revive a Republican-led challenge to a sweeping state law expanding the state's jurisdictional reach in toxic tort cases, saying it was barred from reviewing the Legislature's compliance with its own internal procedures but renewing concerns about being required to "turn a blind eye" to lawmakers' potential constitutional violations.
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2026 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

Ill. Panel Keeps Toxic Tort Jurisdiction Law Intact

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois appellate panel on Tuesday refused to revive a Republican-led challenge to a sweeping state law expanding the state's jurisdictional reach in toxic tort cases, saying it was barred from reviewing the Legislature's compliance with its own internal procedures but renewing concerns about being required to "turn a blind eye" to lawmakers' potential constitutional violations.

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Feds Granted More Time To Defend College Data Ask

By Carolyn Muyskens

A Massachusetts federal judge granted the Trump administration an opportunity to explain its rationale for fast-tracking a demand for detailed admissions data from U.S. colleges and universities.

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Trump Repeats Call To Remove Stay On Mail-In Ballot Order

By Katie Buehler

The Trump administration prodded the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to "promptly" lift a Massachusetts judge's order prohibiting the enforcement of new restrictions on mail-in ballots in 23 states and the District of Columbia in this year's midterm elections. 

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In 'Close' Call, 7th Circ. Backs FDIC In-House Enforcement

By Lauren Berg

In what the court called a "close and challenging call," the Seventh Circuit on Wednesday ruled the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. could use in-house proceedings to adjudicate claims of unsound banking practices, rejecting a former Illinois community bank chairman's contention that such proceedings violate his right to trial by jury.

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POLICY & REGULATION

Senate Passes Bill Letting Feds Share Counterfeit Import Data

By Adam Lidgett

The U.S. Senate has passed a bipartisan bill aiming to combat counterfeit and pirated imports by allowing customs agents to share suspected counterfeit packaging and shipping information with intellectual property holders, e-commerce companies and goods transporters.

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ENFORCEMENT

Newrez Pays $15.5M Over Force-Placed Insurance Charges

By Gina Kim

Rithm Capital-owned mortgage servicer Newrez LLC will pay $15.5 million to resolve allegations that force-placed insurance charges were erroneously levied against customers, following a multistate mortgage loan servicing examination, according to an announcement Wednesday from the New York State Department of Financial Services.

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LITIGATION

Chicago Funeral Home Sued Over 57 Mishandled Bodies

By Celeste Bott

A Chicago funeral home was hit with a proposed class action lawsuit in Illinois state court Tuesday alleging it mishandled, mislabeled and improperly stored roughly 57 bodies, leaving remains unrefrigerated and decomposing in allegedly "deplorable" conditions.

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'Core' Generics Leader Must Face Most AG Price-Fix Claims

By Bryan Koenig

A Connecticut federal judge ruled Wednesday that G&W Laboratories Inc. must face most price-fixing claims from dozens of state attorneys general targeting generic-drug makers, teeing the shuttered company up for trial as one of four companies deemed the "core group of leaders most responsible" for the conspiracy.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

Are your summer associates prepared for a legal career?

How does your firm shape the summer associate experience and mentor new talent? Invite your summer associates to share their perspectives in this year’s Law360 Pulse Summer Associates Survey.

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Trial Firm Reid Collins To Award 3rd Set Of Associate Bonuses

By Jake Maher

Texas-based trial boutique Reid Collins & Tsai LLP is planning to dole out a third round of bonuses for the year to associates, raising their total bonus pay to between $130,000 and $170,000 on the year so far, with another round expected later in 2026.

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Aperture Expands Litigation Finance Platform To $1B

By Ryan Boysen

Alternative asset manager Aperture Investors is expanding its litigation finance platform to $1 billion in total investment capacity, mostly deployed as direct loans to plaintiffs firms.

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Deal Reached In Class Action Over Botched Calif. Bar Exam

By Emily Sawicki

A settlement has been reached in a proposed nationwide class action brought by bar applicants against the proctor of the botched February 2025 California bar exam, one month after the California State Bar settled its claims against the proctor.

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Law Grad Says Hofstra Ignored Heart Attack Mid-Bar Exam

By Andrea Keckley

A Fordham University School of Law graduate accused Hofstra University in New York state court of failing to intervene in time when she had a heart attack in the middle of the July 2025 Bar Exam, refusing to stop the test and discouraging her peers from rendering aid.

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$190K Or $1.9M? Goldstein, DOJ 'At Impasse' Over Forfeiture

By Jeff Overley

Tom Goldstein and the U.S. Department of Justice aired dramatically divergent views Wednesday of a looming financial penalty for his fraud convictions, with the famed appellate advocate voicing constitutional objections to the DOJ's request for almost $2 million and revealing that prosecutors spurned a far smaller offer.

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Analysis

DOJ Settlements Perceived As Flouting Litigation Norms

By Britain Eakin

A trend of settlements between the Trump administration and friendly parties in fast-track lawsuits to pursue policy changes has legal experts concerned about the endurance of a longstanding norm that federal courts can only hear genuine disputes between opposing parties.

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BakerHostetler Faces Possible RICO Claim From Ex-Client

By Emily Johnson

A trustee who has accused BakerHostetler and an Atlanta-based attorney of legal malpractice has asked a Georgia federal court to allow him to accuse the former de facto general counsel and business adviser of a nonprofit of violating the Georgia RICO Act.

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Q&A

She Has A Point: Shutts & Bowen's Jodi-Ann Tillman

By Dani Kass

Jodi-Ann Tillman of Shutts & Bowen LLP was brought into patent infringement litigation over drum technology just months before trial, and her performance earned high praise from opposing counsel, Foley & Lardner LLP partner Laura Ganoza.

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Trent McCotter Follows Blanche As DOJ's 2nd-In-Command

By Courtney Bublé

Following confirmation of Todd Blanche as attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice official Trent McCotter is taking his former post as deputy attorney general on a temporary basis.

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Trump, DOJ Say Firing Seattle US Atty Was Within Their Rights

By Emily Sawicki

The White House and the U.S. Department of Justice are fighting a demand for immediate reinstatement brought by Seattle's former top federal prosecutor, who was fired within an hour of a court appointing him to the role, arguing his due process rights were not violated.

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LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Aidala Bertuna

Alston & Bird

Axinn

Bailey Duquette

Baker & Hostetler

Boyden Gray

Cooley LLP

Croke Fairchild

Esbrook PC

Foley & Lardner

HKM Employment Attorneys

Handley Farah

Holland & Knight

Jenner & Block

Linley Jones Firm

Milbank LLP

Munger Tolles

Novak Druce

Otterbourg PC

Patterson Law Firm LLC

Potomac Law Group

Power Rogers

Reid Collins

Sauder Schelkopf

Shutts & Bowen

Sirianni Youtz

Thompson Coburn

Tycko & Zavareei

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Aperture Investors LLC

Assicurazioni Generali

Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.

Barnard College

Center for Biological Diversity Inc.

Democracy Forward Foundation

First Midwest Bancorp Inc.

Fordham University

Fortress Investment Group LLC

G&W Laboratories Inc.

International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition

Johnson & Johnson

New York State Bar Association

Perrigo Co. PLC

Pfizer Inc.

Reddit Inc.

Rithm Capital Corp.

Sandoz International GmbH

State Bar of California

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

The Catholic University of America

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Cook County Circuit Court

Executive Office of the President

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Communications Commission

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Fish and Wildlife Service

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation

Internal Revenue Service

New York Department of Financial Services

New York Supreme Court, New York County

Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

Social Security Administration

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Postal Service

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington